A Place at the Table for Every Neighbor

Dear Supporter,

As the holidays approach, Advent season brings office, social and family parties. All opportunities to gather around tables filled with food, familiar faces, and gratitude. A table is more than just a place to share a meal. It is often where we experience comfort, connection, and reassurance that we belong.

Yet for our neighbors in need, they will enter this season facing empty refrigerators, overdue utility bills, and even the threat of losing their home. Families and individuals who are starting over often face little more than an empty apartment and the hope of building a more stable future.

At the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Chicago, we believe everyone deserves a place at the table. The compassionate help we provide our neighbors offers the dignity of knowing they are not facing their struggles alone. Throughout Cook and Lake Counties, our Vincentians meet personally with neighbors, listen carefully, and respond with practical support, from food and household necessities to assistance with rent, utilities, and other urgent needs.

Our 2025 Impact Report shows the Society served an estimated 129,964 neighbors by providing more than $5.1 million in food and non-food assistance.

The true impact of the Society’s work lies beyond the numbers. The true meaning is the moment a worried parent realizes the electricity will remain on, a child receives a bed of their own, or a person who has nowhere else to turn is welcomed by a neighbor, heard as a friend, and offered meaningful help as a child of God.

It is the generosity of friends like you who make all this possible.

Your gift to our year-end appeal will help a family keep the heat and lights on, provide a child with a bed of their own, place food on a family’s table, and allow a neighbor to select clothing and household necessities with dignity.

Your financial support ensures every neighbor has a place at the table and a more stable home.

Every gift, regardless of its size, makes room at the table for another neighbor and creates a stronger Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Chicago for the months ahead.

As you gather with those you love this holiday and Advent season, we hope you are thinking of the neighbor whose seat at the table was provided by you.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Dana Pyzik

President, Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago
Archdiocese of Chicago